'The gooses of Meidum'

UNKNOWN ARTIST/S

c.2700-2600 b.c.
Wall painting, 27- 172 cm. – Cairo Museum

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Dating from the beginnings of the IV dynasty (2575 to 2467 BCE), the wall paintings from the mastaba of Nefermaat and his wife Atet (Itet) in Meidum, 100 km. south of modern Cairo, are one of the most outstanding masterpiece of Ancient Egyptian Art.

Of all the paintings, which lamentably have been seriously damaged, the most famous is “The gooses of Meidum”, found at the tomb of Atet. A prodigious of naturalism, the work describes three pairs of chenalopex (Nile goose) in different positions. The exactitude and precision of each one of the gooses, contrasting with the somewhat sketchy vegetals, demonstrates the familiarity and even love the ancient Egyptians had with the natural world. We also have to highlight the variety of pigments used, including malachite, azurite and oxide of iron.

Text: G. Fernández, www.theartwolf.com

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